Show Me What I'm Looking For
by AvengeArtemis
Summary: A new threat has come to the attention of the Avengers, one that differs from anything they've ever dealt with before. Enter Robin Delerov, an outspoken and independent SHIELD agent who may be able to aid them with this threat. But she's also caught the attention of Steve Rogers, and he's determined to figure out what secrets she hides. StevexOC! K rating is subject to change.
1. From Out of Nowhere

_Hello, everyone! Wow, it's been quite awhile since I wrote a fanfic…. I deleted all my old ones XD So a little future reference: I've tried my very hardest to make sure Robin is not a Mary Sue, but if she's becoming boring, please kindly let me know! I appreciate constructive criticism, but I would like a positive environment, so if you have any suggestions, go for it and leave a friendly review _

_Also, I'm a bit of a music nerd, so occasionally some of my chapters will correspond with a song. I'm not basing the chapter of the song, rather I'm just finding a piece of music that fits the plot._

_Another thing you guys should know: I'm a huge Stony fan XD I'm starting on a Stony fic very soon, but I just love Steve so much and I've had the idea for this OC for awhile, so I wrote this._

_Ok, I'm done talking! (My other Author's notes won't be nearly this long, I promise!) Please enjoy my fanfic _

Black leather and the smell of expensive car freshener were about the only things Steve could comprehend as he blinked his eyes groggily and searched his surroundings. An engine purred beneath him. Yes, he was in a car, he could recollect that much. Details flitted around his mind. It was a SHIELD car, slick black with an ominous driver in a black suit and dark sunglasses. Fury had called at 2AM that morning about an "urgent matter" that required his presence at Avengers Tower (formerly Stark Tower). He was allowed an hour to get dressed and the driver came for him at exactly 3AM. It was now 3:30.

Fury had told him nothing about the problem or why, exactly, Steve was being called in at such a ridiculous hour, but honestly, he was much too tired to care. He and Bruce had just finished a drug bust in the Bronx for the Director not ten hours ago (Bruce doing the tracking of the dealers and Cap doing the, y'know... beating people up and arresting them), and he had been hoping for some rest, but apparently that wasn't in his agenda. And so, there he sat, in his white v-neck tee, jeans, and converse, head lolling against the seatbelt as he stared out the window.

New York was slowly waking up, more and more cars filling the streets and the buildings lighting up like florescent Christmas trees. He shifted in the ultra-cushioned leather seat. Avengers Tower was approaching quickly. The "A" on the building was the centerpiece of the skyline, a beacon of hope in a city that was beautiful on the outside, but, like any large city, hid crime, hate, and pain behind those bright lights. It was a city full of wonders. A city that held secrets. A city that they had to protect because all those people, all those lives, were in the palm of their hand.

Too soon the grand, wide entrance to Avengers Tower was to Steve's left and he forced himself to open the door and leave his comfortable place in the car, standing in the humid summer air. He stumbled over his feet while he was ushered inside, half asleep as his driver and another SHIELD agent forced him into the elevator.

"Easy fellas, I can walk," he mumbled, irritable from his lack of sleep.

"Sorry, Sir," the agent replied flatly.

It was an awkward ride up to the 54th floor, where a conference room full of equally annoyed Avengers was waiting for them. Everyone was there; Fury, Tony, Dr. Banner, Clint, Natasha, even Pepper Potts and Maria Hill. Thor was missing, but Steve reminded himself subconsciously that the God of Thunder probably couldn't just zap down to Earth whenever he felt like it.

"What's this about, Fury?" Tony was demanding, Pepper trying to calm him down, but to avail. "Jesus Christ, this is _my tower_! You can't just come waltzing in here at 3 in the morning!

"Mr. Stark," Agent Hill cut in, "This is of utmost important. Director Fury wouldn't have called you here if it wasn't."

"I don't _care_! This is my roof, my rules. Do_ you_ know why any of us are here?"

Maria looked annoyed, confirming that she, indeed, did not know why the meeting had been called. Tony snorted and was about to make a snarky comment when Fury cut him off.

"Shut it, Stark. I've recently received intelligence from the Council about a serious rising threat-"

"At _3AM_? Couldn't this wait another few hours? Or do you expect us to fight aliens in our jammies?"

"Look, I understand this is important," Steve said, trying to calm the tension in the room, "But we have a right to know what's going on immediately."

"Rogers-" Fury began.

"Cap is right," Clint chimed in as he sat next to a grumpy and utterly silent Natasha.

"Yeah, if you won't listen to me, why don't you listen to Spangles?"

"Tony..." Bruce couldn't help but get involved now. Fury rubbed at his temples.

"Look, the Council-"

"Who gives a damn about the Council?"

"Stark," Fury said in warning, a penetrating glare on his face. The argument was escalating slowly, dangerously, and the volume was beginning to rise. Now Tony, Fury, Maria, and Clint were all talking at once, two against two in a heated debate. Steve watched, throwing in the occasional opinion, getting as worked up as he could be considering his level of energy.

Chaos had seemed to ensue when a clear voice rang out across the room.

"So sorry everyone, my flight was late. Director Fury, you requested audience with me?"

Every head in the room turned to look towards the elevator doors. A woman stood there, a SHIELD agent on each side of her. Steve couldn't help but let his attention be consumed by her. In her late teenage years or early twenties, she was on the shorter, more petite-side, but, like Natasha, wasn't stick thin either. Ebony curls settled on her shoulders, framing a slightly thin face with ivory skin and set with wide, round eyes that were ever so slightly slanted. These eyes, which were a shockingly light shade of baby blue, were framed by dark lashes and they watched every face in the room, searching. For such a strangely pretty girl, she dressed rather modestly, with only black jeans, combat boots, and a blue tank top.

Steve had never seen her before, not on missions or at any of the SHIELD headquarters, but when the Director finally spoke again, he sounded slightly relieved.

"Agent Delerov. You made it."

The woman walked forward to stand in front of Fury, heels of her boots clicking rhythmically against the floor. She smiled sadistically and responded in a voice smooth as cream.

"Couldn't really say no, could I?"

"Nope."

She rolled her eyes. "I'd like to know why I'm here, Director."

"Delevov, please, why don't you-"

"Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen boss. That was an important mission you pulled me out of. I want to know why I was brought here and I wanna know now."

Fury narrowed his eyes and spoke only one word.

"Balentine."

Agent Delerov's eyes widened and her face went pale.

"H-He's _alive_? That shouldn't be possible. You said so!"

"Pull it together, Delerov. We need to fill in the others. We have orders from the Council."

"Yes. Of course, Director."

Everyone else in the room was watching the exchange with curious eyes, their faces confused. Steve was suspicious of the woman. If she was so close to Fury that they could have a conversation over one word, or name rather, then how come Steve had never seen her before? The only ones in the room who weren't totally befuddled were Natasha and Tony, so he guessed that they had some idea who she was. But why only them?

Some of the many questions flying around in Steve's head were answered when Fury turned to face the rest of the people in the room. Gesturing to the woman, he introduced her.

"This is Robin Delerov. Elite SHIELD agent, skilled assassin and spy, and a master strategist. She's been working for us since she was eighteen and has recently been on a select mission in Russia."

The stranger deemed as Robin grinned. "Top secret stuff, which is why you guys haven't seen me around lately."

Fury continued. "She has an idea of the new threat we're dealing with and she may become a valued teammate to you all."

"And this threat is what, exactly?" Steve pressed.

"I'm afraid explaining that to you all will require consulting with Agent Delerov first. We'll meet here again tomorrow, well, today actually, at 1 PM."

Tony threw his arms up in the air. "Then why the hell are we here now?"

The Director sighed, exasperated. "Because we have no idea how powerful this threat is yet. Until we do, Avengers Tower has been fully taken over by SHIELD and all of you will be required to reside here for awhile."

"All of you being all the Avengers," Robin added.

"Exactly. Each of you will be assigned a floor for residence. Your possessions are being moved here as we speak."

Tony's mouth was hanging open.

"T-This… No. No, no, no, _no._ You can't. This is mine and Pepper's property and ours alone."

"Not anymore," Maria snapped.

SHIELD agents began leading the Avengers to the elevators, one by one, and down to their floors while Tony and Nick Fury argued. Before an agent came for him, Steve approached Robin, who still remained. She looked up as he came closer, fixing those strange eyes on his face. He held out a hand to her.

"Steve Rogers, Miss."

She shook it with a knowing smile.

"Ah yes, Captain America, isn't it? Living legend? I heard reports about you from Agent Coulson before I left for Russia. It's good to meet you."

Her skin was cold despite the warm weather, but her grip was firm. She looked him straight in the eye, unflinching, as she spoke. Close-up she was quite beautiful, with young features but a mature expression. Little details became clear to Steve, like the fading pink scar across the right side of her face, partially hidden by dark hair, and the multiple piercings – two or three maybe – in each ear. Her lips reminded him painfully of Peggy – full and a natural shade of pink that, paired with her small, upturned nose, seemed old-fashioned: as if she belonged in an old, black-and-white photo. Scanning her intently, he almost didn't hear her when she spoke again.

"Where is Phil, anyways?"

She didn't know about his death, then. Steve hesitated. "He's… He passed away. During the battle with Thor's brother, Loki."

He wasn't sure whether she knew what he was talking about, but she seemed to get the picture. She frowned and a poorly hidden look of pain crept into the depths of her eyes.

"I-I see… That's…" She didn't seem to be able to find the right words. That, or she didn't even want to. Her expression was one of uneasiness and she looked like she was going to be sick. "That's horrible," she got out in a barely audible whisper.

"Ma'am?" Steve looked at her, concerned.

"I'll be all right. Agent Coulson was a very dear friend of mine. One of the very few I could trust."

"I'm so sorry."

She put on an obviously forced smile. "Don't apologize. I'll… I'm just going to go to my room. Goodnight, Captain Rogers."

"Goodnight, Miss Delerov."

He watched her as she walked towards the elevator, a SHIELD agent immediately at her side to show her to her floor. He kept his eyes fixed on the elevator doors long after she had left.

She had come from out of nowhere and left a presence that rang clear in the room. All ready Steve knew that she would be unforgettable and that, at least for the next few months, he hoped he would be working with her as Director Fury had said. Though she acted different, she was like Peggy. Through her confident exterior, lying dormant, was a certain mystery, a certain aspect of her that made him curious to know what it was she hid.


	2. The Story Behind It All

_Ohmigod, I am SO sorry for the delay, I'm still adjusting to my new teachers and all their dumb, treacherously long homework assignments….. Also, I got hit with a really bad case of writer's block about half-way through the chapter._

_Anyways, thank you so much to the people who have followed this story so far (I wasn't expecting any follows at all, I was kind of going out on a limb by writing this), but I'm so happy and I will be updating as much as I can! I hope you continue to enjoy it _

_Also, please forgive me, but I'm changing something; the person that Fury called Bercelli? Yeah, I've changed that name to Balentine… lol the story is still under a lot of construction._

_-Norah_

It was around 9AM when Steve woke up again. He woke up with memories of Peggy, Bucky, and Howard, leftover reminiscence from the dreams he had almost every night. Dreams of the times he spent with Bucky, often drinking and laughing, before he became Captain America, dreams of the times he spent with Howard discussing locations of Nazi forts and weapon choices, serious conversations that often ended in laughing over the ridiculous behavior patterns of women. And then there were the dreams of Peggy. The dreams that came with the sweet scent of her vanilla perfume, her wavy, auburn hair, and her intense, searching eyes. He always dreamed about the last time he would ever see her, the feeling of her lips on his, and the last time he would ever get to look into her eyes. And every time that moment played over in his mind, he had regrets. Right then and there, he could've done it. Even when he talked to her right before the plane crashed, he had a chance. He could've told her he loved her. But what good would that do? If she would never see him again? He couldn't do that to her, he couldn't leave her without a way to move on, to forget him, and so he let her slip away, through his fingers, as his dreams faded to black. As they always did.

Even though it was only 9AM and the meeting was at 1, Steve couldn't bring himself to shut his eyes again. He sat up and raked his gaze across the room. Well furnished and tastefully decorated, it consisted of a queen size bed with a deep blue comforter, a large black, leather armchair, a flat-screen television, and an expensive-looking rug woven with shades of red, blue, and black. Two glass doors that led to a balcony overlooking the city consumed the right wall.

His room, he discovered as he began to wander around his floor, was one of two doors in short hallway that branched off the main part of the floor, the other door leading to a master bathroom equipped with anything he could possibly need. The main part was like a living room; a large seating area complete with an L shaped couch, recliner chairs, and another television. Towards the back was a kitchen that was small but as advanced as any other kitchen in the Avengers Tower. It was not well stocked, however, and as Steve began to root through the tiny fridge, he began to realize how hungry he was. He was still a bit disorientated from waking up in a new place, so he tried the only thing he thought might ease his confusion. Knowing the building was well equipped with Stark-Tech, he called out timidly.

"JARVIS?"

"Good morning, Mr. Rogers. The meeting has been changed to 11 AM. In the meantime, the 55th floor has been set up as a common room for the residents staying at Avengers Tower. Mr. Stark and Mr. Barton are heading there now, I believe. The others still seem to be asleep."

Steve breathed out a sigh of relief when the AI's voice flooded his ears.

"Thanks, JARVIS," he said as he hopped on the elevator and pressed the button for the 55th floor.

The "common room" was a much larger sitting area with a much larger kitchen, basically. When Steve stepped off the elevator, he spotted Clint and Tony by the counter, both with coffee cups in their hands.

"Morning, Rogers," Tony mumbled as the blonde approached them.

"This is all very… planned out, it seems," Steve commented in response. "What with all our different floors and this common room and what not."

Tony rolled his eyes. "I can bet you fifty dollars that Fury has been planning this for weeks, and now that his little pet is here, he's finally carrying it all out."

Clint snorted. "Pet? Who, Agent Delerov? I thought you guys were best buds or something."

The Captain observed with watchful eyes as Tony replied. "That doesn't change the fact that, lately, Robin's been doing whatever Fury tells her to."

"Where do you know her from?" Steve inquired. "I've never even seen her before."

Tony shrugged. "Nobody really knows where she comes from, except for the Director. They found her… How long ago was it? It must be two years now because they took her into custody at HQ when she was eighteen. Anyways, Coulson and Fury found her because she and this gang apparently made a huge mess for SHIELD, but when they saw-oh, I don't know-_potential_ in her, they turned her into one of the most dangerous agents SHIELD has ever seen. She and Natasha, they pretty much run the whole operation now. That's how those two know each other. As for me, she worked for me for a few months, though I didn't exactly know she was undercover for SHIELD at the time. I stayed in touch with her and we've had each other's backs ever since. Fury keeps her busy with missions overseas, which is why she's never at HQ or the Helicarrier."

So Robin was currently twenty-years-old. It was strange; she seemed younger and a little too delicate to be as powerful as Tony said.

"Was she…close with Coulson?" Steve asked.

"Closer than anyone, probably. She may listen to Fury's orders, but Robin doesn't trust him with a fiber in her body. She lets him boss her around because she owes him for not putting her in jail. She believes in paying debts, I guess. Coulson was always the one she confided in."

"Talking about me again, Tony? I thought we discussed this."

Robin was striding towards them, clad in a plaid skirt, black leggings, and a black tank top. Tony just grinned at the dark circles under her eyes.

"Morning, Sunshine," he teased, kissing her cheek. Robin made a face and rubbed at her cheek, playfully glaring at him.

"Good morning, ma'am," Steve greeted as Robin hopped up to sit on the counter next to Tony. She snorted, raising a high-arching eyebrow.

"Is he always this formal, Stark?"

"Sadly."

"Please, Mr. Rogers, anything but the title of 'ma'am.'" she said, turning to the blonde. "I'm pretty sure ma'am is used for, like, 50 year olds nowadays." She gestured to her face dramatically. "There is nothing middle-aged about this face."

She crossed her legs, her teasing blue eyes searching as he blushed. Her black ringlets were pulled up in a ponytail, showing the entirety of her face, and Steve could see her little upturned nose and high cheekbones were decorated with dark freckles, the cluster of them broken only by the scar that ran down from her right eyebrow to her jawline. She grinned at him, showing white teeth that were endearingly crooked. The blush deepened, but Steve didn't quite know why.

"You okay, Cap?" Clint laughed. The taller man nodded and quickly evaded his gaze from Robin's face, making an attempt to change the subject.

"So, Miss Delerov, any chance you could give us an idea of what this meeting is about?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. But, Fury should be calling us down soon. Where are the others?"

As if on cue, a very cranky Natasha walked into the room, ridden with a horrible case of bedhead, followed by Bruce. The scientist smiled at his teammates as Natasha made a beeline for the coffee machine. Both were dressed, as it was almost 10:30. Pepper walked in around 10:45 and stood next to Tony, bickering with him for a few minutes over tomorrow's schedule, and by the time 11 o' clock rolled around, the group was having a calm morning conversation that differed from their discussion at three that morning quite drastically.

"Guys," Robin said, her face becoming more serious, "We should go now. Fury's waiting." With a turn on her heel, she led the way to the elevator door.

A surprise was waiting for them on the 54th floor. An anxious God of Thunder was demanding to see his friends. When they arrived in the conference room, he broke into a smile.

"It has been far too long!" he laughed, clapping Steve and Tony on the back and greeting all his fellow Avengers. "But whom is this maiden?" he inquired when he looked at Robin. She smiled.

"A new addition, you could say."

The gentlemanlike Asgardian took her hand, raising it to his lips politely.

"And this new addition's name is?"

"Robin Delerov. You are Thor, I presume?"

He nodded and was about to speak again when Fury's voice echoed through the room.

"Sit. All of you."

Once they had all sat at the long table that was nearly identical to the one on the helicarrier, the Director appeared at the head, Agent Hill by his side.

"It's been a hectic morning trying to get you all assembled here." He spoke slowly, calmly. "It's been stressful, on all of us. Now, on the topic of _why_ you are here, I'll show you this."

A screen to the man's right flicked on, and a depiction of an olive-skinned man with dark hair and sunglasses showed up. He was middle-aged, in his forties, maybe, and was wearing dark trousers and a black leather jacket.

"Agent Delerov. You may take it from here."

Robin stood and took Fury's place, the business-like expression on her face clashing with her young, punk-style outfit. She was certainly a quirky agent.

"This is Casper Balentine. A dangerous man obsessed with controlling people and taking charge in any environment he is in. SHIELD thought him dead until very recently, when this photo of him surfaced and came to our attention. He dabbles in what you could call… black magic."

Natasha and Bruce had eyebrows raised while Clint scoffed.

"_What?_ Define black magic, Agent Delerov," he snorted skeptically.

Robin gave him an icy glare. "Your insolence isn't helping anything, _Agent _Barton." She returned her focus back to the rest of the Avengers.

"When I say black magic, I'm talking about dark energy. Dangerous stuff. It's a bit hard to explain." She sighed, blue eyes rolling upward towards the ceiling as she thought for a moment. "It… well, he _manipulates _the energy."

Steve looked up at the young woman who was still trying to gain traction of turning her thoughts into words. There was a moment of silence before Thor spoke.

"How did he acquire this power, Lady Robin?"

She gave a breathy laugh and folded her arms across her chest. "That _would_ be a good place to start, wouldn't it? I can only hope you'll believe me." She took a deep breath.

"Tony… He knows a bit of this story. Way back in the 17th century, a group came into the light of the public. A group that called themselves the Shadow Seekers. They originated in Italy. They were people that had gained the ability to control shadows and dark energy from the atmosphere, bend it to their will. It was a strange and rare mutation in their genes, often acquired through blood. Shadow Seekers gave birth to children who inherited their powers and took their place in the circle of Seekers. They could suffocate people using shadows, hurt people with the dark energy that flowed through their veins. You see, anyone who did not hold the same power as the Seekers could not touch the energy; it would burn them, disintegrate their skin. And thus the Seekers found their own fighting style in which they ignited their fingertips and even feet with the dark energy, then swiftly punched and kicked anyone who they wished to be harmed. For quite a while, the Seekers worked for the good of civilians, lending their abilities in wars and other threats to humanity. But in the 1800s, the people began to oppress them, calling them dangerous after the work of a few rogue Seekers destroyed a few cities. It was a good move, though. The Seekers had become corrupt and thought themselves superior to humans, demanding that all 'inferior races' treat them as gods. Most of them were arrested or killed. But then Balentine, a descendent of a very powerful Shadow Seeker, began seeking out the children of the ones who had escaped and gone into hiding. He succeeded in reviving the Shadow Seekers until SHIELD located them and supposedly killed Balentine. Recently, though, we picked up traces of the same dark energy that the Seekers use and manipulate. And then we found this-" Robin gestured to the photo on the projector, "-and reopened the investigation and arrest of all people that are associated with them. We are sure it is Balentine, but we haven't been able to pin him down in one place, and when we do, he always slips through our fingers. Which is why we need you all." (_A/N Omg that turned out longer than I wanted it to)_

She finished with a satisfied sigh, seemingly glad that she had unloaded the whole story unto them. But when she saw the dumbfounded looks on the Avengers' faces, her smile faded.

"What. The. _Hell._ Are you serious? It's been, what, two months since Loki's attack, and now SHIELD is shoving this load of bullshit down our throats. I-"

Clint stopped when Robin's head snapped around to look at him, annoyed. "I know it's a lot for you to handle, Barton, but you're a big boy now. I think you can manage it. Or do I need Natasha to babysit you, as usual?" Natasha smirked at that one, eyes darting towards her old friend. The rest of the Avengers sat in mutual silence, digesting. They had dealt with some pretty unbelievable magic when fighting Loki, she was right about that. Steve shook his head, thinking about how much stranger the world had become since the 40s. After a few minutes, Robin began making her way towards the elevators.

"I'm going to my floor, Fury. I suggest my teammates do the same and take a few hours to themselves to prepare themselves for what soon will come."

_Well, there certainly was a lot of information packed into THIS chapter, now wasn't there? XD I'M SO SORRY_

_Suggestions? Criticism? Requests? Let me hear it!_

_I REGRET NOTHING 3_

_-Norah_


	3. A Dream Interrupted

_I should do this before I forget…_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything that has to do with the Avengers, I am merely a loyal fan 3 I do, however, own the character concepts of Robin Delerov and Casper Balentine._

_Thanks again to my lovely followers! _

_-Norah_

That night, as Steve drifted into unconsciousness and the usual roll of dreams ensued, _she_ was there.

It had started it out like it always did. With Peggy. He was back in the 40s and he was with her, and they were walking along a sidewalk in Brooklyn, hand in hand, leading a normal life. She wore a summer dress and a sunhat, and she had to use her free hand to hold it on her head, as there was a strong breeze in the air. He chuckled as he watched her struggle to keep it in place, she giggled along with him, and he thought how strange it was that something so simple as the sound of her laughter could make him so happy. How strange it was that just a flash of those brilliant white teeth could warm his heart more than anything else in the world. He was in such a great mood that he confidently stopped her, gently tugged the hat off her head, and kissed her. It was a sweet, soft kiss, and he praised the world for being so perfect when she kissed him back. But when he pulled away and opened his eyes, she was gone. In her place was a vast expanse of ice and water just beneath him. Machinery groaned and shook all around him. He was about to crash. He shut his eyes tightly and braced himself, for the pain, for the nothingness, but it never came. When he dared open them again, he was back on the sidewalk in Brooklyn, but the buildings were battered and wrecked and the street was torn up and there was no Peggy. Only shadows, shadows lurking and moving by themselves, as if they had a mind of their own and were truly devious creatures of the darkness. As they swiftly crept towards him, he looked in front of him and saw _her. _Robin stood there, in a black dress as tattered and torn apart as the buildings around her. Her blue eyes glowed softly, and from them streamed tears. But the expression on her face was unreadable. Were they tears of sadness? Anger? Pain? The shadows were slowly devouring both of them, but Steve couldn't tear his eyes away from her face.

"What are you doing?" he called out to her. "Run!"

She simply shook her head. "I can't."

"Why?"

"It's in my blood."

And then all he knew was the darkness.


	4. You Game?

_All right, so this is a pretty short chapter (as was the previous one, obviously) but Chapter 5 is gonna be really long if everything goes as planned. Hope it likes you!_

_-Norah_

The sunlight was filtering through the long, blue curtains when Steve woke, his eyes flashing open and searching the room until they found the alarm clock, which read 7:00. He sat up slowly and was still for a few moments, enjoying the peaceful silence broken only by the sound of cars outside. And then memories of his dreams flooded his mind, blocking out anything that put him at ease. Why on Earth had she been there? Why had she been crying? What did she mean by "It's in my blood"?

_Who was Robin Delerov?_

Robin smiled to herself as she walked into the common room kitchen and flicked on the lights that hung overhead. She seemed to be the only one up, which meant she had at least a few minutes alone with her thoughts. Strangely enough, Steve's face popped into her mind. Perching herself on the island counter, she thought about him. He was certainly handsome, no doubt about that, and she could sense he was brave, too. She had seen footage of all the Avengers, but Steve's stuck out to her the most. He wasn't impenetrable like Iron Man or the Hulk and he didn't have mystical abilities like Thor, but he one his battles because he was sensible and courageous and selfless. He was unlike any SHIELD agent she had ever seen. But, she thought with a sigh, she, of all people, should know that exteriors are _always _deceiving. She reached a hand up to run her fingertips along the scar on her face. Yes, it was best just to treat him as just another part of the misguided puzzle they called a team.

Robin was just reaching for the kettle to boil some water for tea when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. She briefly glanced over her shoulder to see none other than Steve walking towards her. He wore just plaid pajama bottoms and she guessed he had just thrown on a white t-shirt over his torso in the name of decency, because he was still pulling it on when he approached the kitchen and sat down.

"Morning, Steve," she said with a bright grin.

"Good morning, ma- er, Miss Delerov." This earned him an exasperated look from the woman, who wore running shorts and a fitted green tee.

"You want some tea? Tony always gets so annoyed with me because I never use the coffee machine in my room when I stay here, but I still much prefer Earl Grey in the morning."

The corner of the soldier's mouth tugged up in a slight smile. "No, thank you. I'm fine. Do you stay here often, then?"

"Only when SHIELD miraculously decides to put me on a mission that's actually within the boundaries of North America." She readied a mug, dropping in a teabag from the cabinet. "You're an early riser, huh? I guess we can put that on the list of old-fashioned habits."

Steve just gave a little shake of his head. "Well, what about you? You were up here before me."

"You're right. Believe it or not, this is actually really weird for me. Usually it takes a ton of shaking followed by about five cups of caffeinated tea to get me up in the morning. I guess I just got a whole lot of sleep on the ride over here from Russia."

"And… Why exactly were you in Russia?"

"That's classified, Cap'n," she replied with a hint of a smile, pouring hot water over the teabag when the kettle began to scream. Said captain rolled his eyes.

"Right. I forgot that SHIELD likes to keep its agents in the dark."

"Tell me about it. It's like a stupid Mystery-Drama up in this bitch. Everything always has to be hush-hush until the last minute." When Steve looked a bit appalled at her language, she laughed.

"Sorry. I have to remind myself I'm not talking to Clint or Tony sometimes. They begin to leave their mark on you after awhile." Laughter faded away, she looked at him. "Seriously, I am sorry."

"It's all right," he said, chuckling a bit himself. It, too, faded until the two of them were looking at each other quizzically, awkwardly. Robin spoke again first, and there was a hint of sympathy in her voice. It was a very small hint, however, and almost unrecognizable.

"It must be a lot to handle. Like, it must be really, _really _strange to you, all this. The glitz, the flash, everything that comes with the 21st century."

He shrugged, though he felt the pain of yearning for his time, sharply prodding at his heart. "I'm adapting."

She smiled. "That makes you a soldier on a lot of levels, Mr. Rogers."

He found himself smiling back. "Thanks, I guess."

They were silent for a moment before Robin broke into a smirk. "Well, Captain America, it's time for you to stop guessing and start becoming one with the 21st century culture. I was just about to go running in central park. You should join me. I can show you a bit of the city, and it'll help get your mind off all the Shadow Seeker crap. You game?"

He raised his eyebrows, not able to stop a grin from spreading across his face. "Oh, I don't know. Sounds dangerous."

"Pfft. Everything's dangerous when you're with me," she snorted. "But that doesn't answer my question."

He pondered for a moment. "… Yeah. I think I'm game."


	5. Something? Or Nothing?

_Waaaah! I got a great response from the last two chapters I posted, which I greatly appreciate. __**sniff sniff**__. Sorry if I get a little emotional XD Anyways, I'm very pleased with myself because of all the writing I got done this weekend. I got really sick on Friday, so I haven't had much else to do anyways… _

_Thank you guys!_

_-Norah _

_xoxo_

Fast as Steve was, Robin somehow managed to be faster.

What she called a jog would probably be sprinting in terms of a normal person. It took him a few minutes to adjust, but eventually Steve was running at her pace and the two were touring Central Park. Every so often, Steve would pull ahead, just to tease her, and when he looked back, she would stick out her tongue and easily sprint until she was at least ten meters ahead. Then, she would slow down and let him catch up and they would be jogging side by side again. This went on for about a half hour before Robin slowed to halt in the park. Before they had started running, she had hidden two water bottles in the nook of a tree. She quickly found the tree and climbed onto a low branch, throwing Steve a water bottle before perching herself comfortably on the bough and inhaling a few gulps herself. They were quiet for a few moments.

"…You're fast," Steve observed after he finished replenishing his internal water supply. Robin lowered the water bottle, laughing.

"Your strength is in your brawn, Captain. Mine is in the speed my size allows me. When it comes to throwing a punch, well… My arm isn't perfect."

"You ever tried boxing?"

"Kickboxing is more my speed."

"So you've used a punching bag before?"

"Oh, loads of times. Occasionally I'll tape a picture of Tony or Fury to it."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "That's a little… dark." She shrugged.

"I have my bad days."

Steve couldn't help but chuckle at this. He didn't know why, but this strange woman made him laugh. She was a different creature, that was for sure, one who was childish and didn't always seem to think about words before they left her mouth. Different from Peggy, but the same in her confidence. His thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of a cell phone.

"That would be mine," she said apologetically, pulling it out of what seemed to be, of all places, her bra. He blushed.

"What?" she snorted. "It's not like my running shorts have pockets." She checked the caller ID, clicked a button at the bottom of the screen, and held it to her ear, shaking a loose curl from her face.

"Hey, Tony. What's up?"

_"Wait, are you with Cap?"_

"Yeah."

_ "…Why?"_

She rolled her eyes. "I'm showing him the lush jungle of metal we call home."

_"Okay. Now answer me seriously, smartass."_

"We just went for a run. We're heading back in a few minutes, I think."

_"Okay, good. Pepper was looking for you. She's a bit upset by this whole ordeal with the Seekers so she decided she wanted to take you and Natasha to lunch or something."_

Robin groaned. "Lunch is fine and dandy, but knowing Pepper, it'll probably end in shopping at some store we find."

_"I know, kiddo. But she's been under a lot of pressure lately. The press for Stark Industries has been giving her a hard time. Can you just please go with her? For me?"_

"It would be a much more convincing argument if I were doing it for Pepper."

_"Fine, then. Do it for Pepper. I would take her out myself, but Bruce and I got caught up with something down in the lab"_

"Of course you did. I'll be up in the common room showered and ready to go in an hour."

_"Perfect. Oh, and one more thing?"_

"WHAT."

"…. _Can you make dinner for the team? We're all kind of cooped up here and I'm pretty sure none of us know how to cook."_

"You're pathetic."

"_Love you too. See ya later, Rob."_

Robin hung up with a dramatic sigh and turned to Steve, who was looking at her with a grin that said, "_Do I even want to know?"_ The woman shook her head, muttering, "Let's head back. Tony has all ready booked up my schedule for the rest of the day." Steve laughed. "That's fine. Lets head back, then."

Days turned into weeks and there was still no sign of the Shadow Seekers, so the Avengers entertained themselves in the Tower and around New York. Tony and Bruce mostly stayed cooped up in the lab while the others trained and got used to spending so much time together. At one point, Robin and Pepper flew down to Arizona with Thor so he could visit Jane, Darcy, and Dr. Solveig. Natasha, Clint, Robin, and Steve often spent time in the extensive gym on the 4th floor of the Tower, using the equipment provided there and teasingly challenging each other to boxing matches. Natasha and Robin were always equal in their "battles." Neither one could beat the other. While Clint was skilled, his specialty wasn't hand-to-hand combat, and he got pretty badly beaten by the two females, which Steve found profusely hilarious. Then again, when the Captain himself stepped into the ring with Robin, he found that her agility and speed was a fair match for his superhuman strength; he couldn't even touch her. But, as Robin said, she didn't have a perfect punch, so those matches often ended in a tie, as well. Sometimes, the four of them would round up the rest of the Avengers, plus Pepper and the occasional Maria, and they would go somewhere, like to the movies or out to dinner. They did it when they all started to get a bit stir-crazy, but it often ended in them getting kicked out of public places because Thor and Clint were a "nuisance." So those outings gradually became rarer and rarer.

It was a Friday afternoon when Pepper decided to take Natasha and Robin out to lunch again. They climbed in the company car and Robin gave Happy directions to a casual Italian restaurant she knew of. It was a small joint, but tastefully decorated with velvet curtains and daisies in the center of each mahogany table, and Robin assured the two other women that the food was "beyond awesome."

Once they were settled and waited on, each ordering some form of pasta under Robin's guidance, Pepper was the first to speak.

"All right, Rob. _What _is going on between you and Steve?"

Robin looked alarmed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come _on._ You guys go running together, like, three times a week, and both of you always come back glowing and laughing."

"So?"

"So…? Look me in the eye and tell me there isn't something between you two."

Robin leaned forward, staring at her friend unflinchingly. "_There is nothing between us."_

"But you guys spend tons of time together at the tower!"

"That's because there isn't anything better to do!"

"I have to take Robin's side on this one," Natasha defended the other woman. "I box with them all the time, and I don't see anything more than a friendship."

"_Thank _you, Nat."

"Ok, fine. But don't you want there to be something? I mean, please. He's the whole package."

"Read my lips, Pep: _I do not have a crush on Steve Rogers._ Crushes are for schoolgirls. And I'm not about to start going out with someone after what happened with Tristan. Or have you all ready forgotten?"

Pepper looked at her hands. "Oh god, Robin, I'm sorry. Just… forget everything I said."

Robin lost her hostile tone and took on a grin. "Well, maybe not _everything_. I'll be telling Tony that you think Steve is the 'whole package.'"

"You wouldn't," Pepper groaned.

"You know I would." But there was no seriousness in it, and by the time their food came, the three women had been taken over with a fit of laughter. As they ate, the subject was changed over to what was between Clint and Natasha, whose relationship was becoming impossible to hide. The two obviously had a mutual interest in each other, and the suggestion that Clint was probably going to ask her out soon inevitably came up. By the end of the outing, it was if Robin's past was never even brought up.

And she was certainly thankful for it.

_Just a peek into the everyday lives of the Avengers __ I thought it was probably necessary._

_But who is this Tristan person…? Heehee, that won't be revealed for another few chapters…_

_-Norah_


	6. The Darkness Appears

_Hello my lovely supporters!_

_I do hope you enjoy the story so far. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I literally just realized that I have a gigantic History project due in two days… So yeah. I'm screwed. Wish me luck._

_Anyways, I wanted to publish this chapter for you guys so it doesn't end up being another week before I update again. Hope you enjoy it!_

_-Norah_

It was a Thursday morning when things began to get a bit more exciting around Avengers Tower.

It was a beautiful day, really; the summer air was beginning to cool off and settle into autumn, the sun was mostly out, though distant clouds threatened New York with rain, and there had been no squabbles between the teammates over who got to use the gym first or who woke up who in the middle of the night with incessant noise—of course, those sort of fights usually remained between Clint and Natasha. As usual, Steve was the first one up. Or, at least he thought he was.

There was only one overhead light that was flicked on in the kitchen when Steve reached the common room, so he figured JARVIS had turned it on for him when he had arisen. Groggily, he sat on a stool at the counter, rubbing his face with his hands and groaning quietly. Robin had been merciless when they were sparring yesterday: she had given him and Thor absolute hell by hitting every single damn one of their pressure points instead of swinging punches like a normal person, which would probably have been a lot less painful. He was a bit surprised when he heard Tony's voice drift over from the other side of the kitchen, loud and clear.

"God_dammit!"_

Steve's head snapped around to stare at the genius, who was bent over with his head in the refrigerator, rummaging through its contents.

"Stark? What are you doing?"

Tony turned to look at him, dark circles under his eyes and an extremely annoyed look on his face.

"I stayed up all night in the lab. I heard Robin come down at around 1:30, but it's rare for her to sleep the whole night through without getting up anyways, so I ignored it. I didn't realize the kid had drunk half my beer supply!"

Steve looked up, astounded. "_What? _She's 20! Isn't she still too young to drink?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Technically? Yeah, she is. But she's never been a big fan of rules."

The soldier sitting at the counter raised an eyebrow. "And how did this little habit begin?"

The other man raised his hands in defense. "Hey, don't look at me!" He cleared his throat. "When she, uh, was recruited by SHIELD, she went through a tough time. That's when it started. She's not anywhere close to being an alcoholic, I'm honestly amazed at her self control, but every so often she… she cracks."

Steve looked at his hands, unsure of what to say. He realized he knew nothing about Robin: where she came from, why she decided to work for SHIELD, what her past was like. And yet, she was one of those women that put her all into everything she did, so it was hard to question her and even harder to confront her.

"That's… really sad."

"Yeah… I know."

The two men were quiet for a while, neither having the willpower to hold a formal conversation at so early an hour.

"Coffee?" Tony offered quietly, but Steve just shook his head.

More silence ensued as both of them avoided eye contact, the blonde casting his eyes downward and the billionaire turning around to start a pot of coffee. It was obvious neither of them wanted to elaborate on the subject: Steve knew too little while Tony knew too much.

They didn't have to swallow the awkwardness for long, however, because soon, JARVIS's voice came on the speaker overhead, sounding about as a frantic as an artificial intelligence could.

"Sir, Nick Fury has been trying to reach you all morning-"

"Ugh, _again _with the ridiculous calls at dawn? Just ignore him, JARVIS. I mean it this time."

"Sir, I'm afraid my systems are being overridden, SHIELD is-"

"STARK!"

Both men in the kitchen winced as Fury's booming voice came over a speaker and his angry face appeared on the nearby television screen.

"Security breach," the brunette muttered angrily.

"I swear to God, Stark! If Washington DC was in flames, you would have absolutely no way of knowing."

"Yeah, yeah." Tony waved it off with his right hand, leaning against the counter across from Steve. "Please, do tell why your face is consuming my kitchen television."

"Balentine has been spotted in downtown Manhattan. He and a few of his cronies are attacking a hotel down there."

Tony choked on his coffee, nearly spitting it everywhere. "Well, shit," he coughed out. "The bastard has finally made an appearance, huh? Where is it?"

The Director gave them the address. "I expect you guys to be down there in ten minutes to take care of the situation."

"You got it, boss."

With that, Fury's line cut off.

"JARVIS. Wake all the Avengers and tell them to meet us down in Manhattan. In uniform." Tony was pacing the floor now. "Get Robin up first. I want her with me when I leave."

"I'm afraid Miss Delerov has gone running and her phone is off."

"Shit," Tony muttered. "Well tell her what's going on the minute she gets back. Suit up, Rogers. We're going to hold them off until the rest get there to help us."

Steve nodded. "Got it. I'll get to the hotel as fast as I can on my motorcycle. See you there."

* * *

Steve seemed to have gotten to the hotel just in time. It was a small building, and it was all ready beginning to crumble with the weight of the battle going on around it. Thor had beaten him there, considering he could pretty much fly, and the God of Thunder and Iron Man were fighting off what seemed to be an army of…shadows. Globs of darkness that could fight and devour, and though their attacks were straightforward and mindless, they were powerful. Steve watched for a moment, horrified by the creatures as he realized they were exactly like the ones in his dream. The ones that had tried to suffocate both him and Robin. And suddenly he was worried, anxious to know where the woman was. What if she had been attacked while she was out that morning? He didn't have all that much time to conjure up the idea of something horrible happening to her, however, because Iron Man was in front of him, shaking him.

"What are you doing just standing there?! Listen to me; the Shadow Seekers are controlling these things. If we have any hope of winning, we have to find them. The hotel has been evacuated all ready. Balentine is somewhere inside."

_Balentine._

"I'll go indoors and look for him," Steve said darkly. "You keep holding them off here, prevent them from spreading too wide so that they can't hurt civilians."

"Got it."

"When Black Widow and Robin get here, send them inside. We're going to need the power of stealth on our side."

"Aye aye, Cap'n."

And then, Tony was off, sending destructive blasts of light towards the shadows, but more darkness quickly replaced those. It was a fight they would not be able to win if they didn't cut off the connection between the creatures of the dark and the ones controlling them. Steve picked his way across the battlefield, trying not to attack so he wouldn't draw attention to himself. He got to the fire escape and climbed it until he was at the third floor, where there were fewer shadows, and swung in through the window. He landed deftly on the carpeted hallway floor and looked around. It seemed to be abandoned except for the darkness that oozed from the walls and doors and the moaning of the wind as it passed through the hollow structure of the old building. He crept forward slowly along the hallway, unsure of where to start searching.

After a few minutes he noticed something. The shadows that lined the floor were not only moving, but they all seemed to be moving in one direction, as if they were being lured in by something. Their source, perhaps? It was his only lead so far, so Steve followed them, desperately hoping they would lead him to Balentine.

_Oh good lord, I hope that was okay! Fight scenes are not my specialty, but I'm working on it… Tell me what you think!_

_-Norah_


	7. An Introduction

_I know, I know. I suck. God, I can't believe it took me this long to write this chapter, I just had no idea how to write it, you know? So, without further ado here's the 7__th__ chapter…_

_-Norah_

_xoxo_

Steve pressed his body up against the wall, walking carefully, silently. The shadows had led him up the old, worn stairs that creaked with every step, all the way up to the seventh floor. It also happened to be the top floor, as it was a very small, local hotel. There were voices coming from a room down the hall. His heart thumped in his chest and the blood roared in his ears. If Natasha and Robin didn't come soon, he would be facing Balentine alone. God, why didn't he ask Tony or Thor to come with him? He may be a super soldier, but this wasn't like anything he had dealt with before. He wouldn't even know how to fight Balentine once the time came, if he was anywhere near as powerful as SHIELD made him out to be, and it's not like anyone had given him any guidance on how to deal with this enemy. He hadn't even thought it through. So what was his next move? Then he heard a hushed voice from behind him.

"What the _hell _are you doing?"

Steve spun around to face the feminine figure emerging from the shadows along the wall.

Small of stature, she wore a deep blue cat suit with black lining and a white crescent moon emblem at her chest. She wore black and white gloves, a black half-face mask, and black combat boots with white laces. There was a deep blue hood over her head, and in the dank hallway light, her face was almost completely shrouded.

"What are you doing?" she repeated. "You shouldn't be here."

"Who are you?"

"Shh! Not so loud," she hissed. "You want Balentine to take your head off?"

Steve paused and looked at her warily. "…How do you know about Balentine?" he whispered.

"Wouldn't you like to know. What about the right to privacy, Mister Freedom?" she retorted, eyeing his suit. "We have history, okay?"

"Are you with SHIELD?"

She scoffed. "I—"

She was cut off by a deep voice barking out orders in harsh, sharp Italian from down the hall, resonating from the fifth room on the right side. The mystery woman froze. "That's Morietti."

"Who?"

"Balentine's right-hand man… Now that I think about it, Balentine probably isn't here at all."

Steve looked at the woman, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes, as if this should be obvious. "Balentine won't actually make an appearance himself until he has himself convinced that Morietti and the rest of the Seekers are completely incompetent. Balentine doesn't like to get his hands dirty, but he also lives by the saying 'if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.' For a tactical genius, he's actually pretty redundant."

"So what's his ultimate goal, then?"

"How should I know?"

"Well, you seem to know an awful lot about the guy."

"Don't get smart with me, America Pants." She ignored him when he gave her a glare. "The point is, what's _our _next move?"

"We—"

"Shut up. I'm thinking." The woman's sharp comments were becoming increasingly familiar. However, Steve had no time to put two and two together, because a young man burst through the door to Morietti's room. He took one look at the two in the hallway and began shouting in Italian, calling to the other men in the room.

"Shit," the woman muttered. A burly man poked his head out of the doorway, and by the way he began ordering around the five men that emerged from the room, Steve guessed that he must be Morietti. The woman stepped forward hastily, grabbed his arm, and began running towards the stairwell.

"Lets take this to the ground floor," she called to Steve over her shoulder. "You can be damn sure Morietti's going to turn this into a fight, and if the foundations get any weaker than they all ready are, this place is going to collapse." Steve nodded and together, they ran down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

_Well fuck, this was short. _

_More to come very soon, I promise!_

_-Norah_

_xoxo_


	8. Moonstorm

The shadows along the walls were moving much faster now, gliding swiftly as if they were chasing Steve and the mystery woman down the stairs.

"I'm Moonstorm, by the way!" she called over her shoulder.

"I'd like to make a formal introduction, ma'am, but I'm not sure that now's the best time," he replied. She simply laughed.

"True enough."

She reached her hand up to her throat and unzipped just a little bit of her cat suit, yanking a silver chain out and ripping it from her neck. On the end of the chain was a silver key. The head of it was an intricate symbol resembling a Celtic knot, though it was shaped like a clover. Steve saw her press it into her palm, so hard that it drew blood.

"What are you doing?" he said into her ear. They were running side by side now.

"Shush. Just watch."

Her blood leaked to the corners of the knot and trickled down the many spokes of the design. The key tentatively began to glow. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. And then in her hand was not a charm, but a silver-bladed glaive, its pole a shining shade of ebony. At the base of the blade was the same design on the key, but it was weaved with long, blue tassels and black feathers [A/N omg did that description even make any sense at all]. Steve stared at it. The way it transformed like that, it was so similar to Loki's magic that it shocked him. For a moment, he was stunned. Could this woman be from Asgard? Related to Loki, even? No, she was helping him, wasn't she? And SHIELD would know if Earth had another visitor from its Asgardian neighbors. As they reached the landing, she took a firm grasp on the glaive, which was about her height, and began sprinting across the lobby, the Captain right on her heels. She was about to rip open the door when a huge shadow loomed overhead. Steve called out when the blackness seemed to take a physical form and grab her. His breath caught in his throat when he heard her screech. He stopped, took his shield in his hand, and threw it. It cut through the black form of the shadow as if it was made of a soft gel. Moonstorm dropped to the ground with a thump.

"Are you all right, miss?" he breathed, running to her just as she was pulling herself to her feet.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, barely audible. She was preoccupied with searching the lobby for something, probably Morietti.

"Miss, was that…?"

"A trademark technique of the Shadow Seekers, not that anyone else is capable of it. They're called Puppets. Seekers give the shadows a physical form and control them, like their own little minions. The Seekers prefer hand-to-hand combat, though, and this is often used as a diversion until the they can collect themselves and fight close range with dark magic."

Briefly, he wondered how she knew all this. He didn't have long to ponder, though. "Speak of the devil," Steve muttered as they backed away, nodding towards the stairs. Morietti had appeared, flanked by three men and two women, all of whom looked young and nervous. Moonstorm turned to face them with a sigh. She shouldered Steve to the side, and as she did, she subtly whispered in his ear.

"Stay here and shut up. Don't speak, don't move. We may be able to avoid a full blown battle, but if we don't, I'll let you know." Then she walked forward, towards Morietti, who seemed slightly amused. Moonstorm spoke first.

"Fresh blood, Morietti? Oh, and they're young, too. New recruits to stain their hands for you while you merely watch? Looks like nothing's changed."

"Oh, how I've missed you, Moony," he responded in a snarl. There was a sword in his hand. "I hear you're going by a new name now."

"Oh? How'd you hear that?"

"Down the grapevine, I suppose. The Shadow Seekers get around, you must know that. Robin, is it? Robin Delerov?"

Steve froze, as did the world around him. What was probably only a few brief seconds seemed like hours. Had he heard that right? He didn't believe it until the woman in front of him peeled her hood away from her face to reveal the familiar elfish features and the pitch-black spiral curls slicked back into a ponytail. She turned to look at him, an apologetic look in her icy blue gaze. There was something else, too. Fright?

"Robin…?" he choked out.

She seemed to forget about Morietti for a moment as she walked towards him.

"I've got a lot to explain, don't I?" she murmured. "But you've got to trust me right now." Her voice was pleading. Then she turned around to face the group of figures that stood about 15 yards from them, shrouded in black cloaks.

"Leave, Morietti. Leave and I won't have to reduce your numbers as drastically as I did when I left."

"Oh please, Moony. What, you're just going to postpone this? And even so, you can't hide behind SHIELD forever."

"What do you want, then? What does Balentine want? World domination?"

"I wish it were so simple."

"There you go again. Always so cryptic. You're so irritating."

"You're not going to stall by throwing around insults. Fight me."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Suddenly, Morietti was in front of her, staring down. He was tall, much taller than Robin, maybe even taller than Steve, but the woman glared at him unflinchingly. They stared at each other for a few moments, and then, in a flash, she was moving. She shoved her knee upwards into his stomach and he doubled over, then lunged for her. Robin grabbed his arm and ducked under his swing, twisting until he was flipped onto his back. Steve, bewildered for a moment by the sudden movement, blinked. His eyes flicked to the rest of the Seekers, who were rushing towards him. They flicked back to Robin. She seemed to be handling herself, using her quickness and the butt of her glaive to successfully unbalance and fend off Morietti. Convinced that she was all right, he flew into action. The Seekers fought him hand to hand, their advantage being the purplish haze that played at their fingertips: a magic that Steve soon learned stung and burned on contact with his skin, not unlike fire. He had his shield, though, and it proved to be reliable in this battle. Many of the Seekers were, as Robin said, young and inexperienced and he had many of them down on the ground within fifteen minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Robin, who was fighting without mercy now, using the sharp blade of her glaive against Morietti. But he dodged most of the attacks and stood his ground. From what Steve could see, the bigger man had only a few cuts while Robin was beginning to tire herself out.

The Captain had distracted himself enough with worrying over the woman that a Seeker managed to unbalance him and pin him to the ground. When Robin saw his struggle, her eyes grew wide. She grabbed the pole of her glaive in both hands and gave Morietti a strong shove, then rushed to Steve's aid, weapon at the ready. He was just kicking the Seeker off of him when the soldier saw Morietti lunge after her. He turned his head just in time to see Balentine's right hand man bring the blade of his sword down across her back. She shrieked.

"Robin!" Steve shouted, leaping to his feet and swinging his shield across the face of an approaching Seeker. He had just reached her unconscious form when what seemed like a blinding light filled the lobby. When it faded, a large piece of metal in the shape of a man stood over him.

"Hey, Cap. I heard a girly scream and thought you might need me."

"Tony! Robin, she… she appeared and… she's hurt…"

Strangely, as he lifted the metal mask from his face, the man within the iron suit didn't seem surprised. "Get her out of here, Cap," he responded calmly. "Get Clint and Natasha and take her back to Avengers tower." The God of Thunder appeared beside him.

"The Man of Iron and I will take care of this, my friend."

Normally, the Captain wouldn't just take orders from Iron Man. But Robin was bleeding her life out as they spoke. He scooped her up and sprinted outside. Hawkeye and Black Widow had indeed shown up to help fight the Puppets that surrounded the hotel. He swung a leg over his motorcycle, positioned Robin so that she was cradled on his lap, and motioned for the duo of assassins to follow. They took one look at Robin's wound and understood.

"We'll catch up with you, Captain," Clint called. "Just get going! We'll call Bruce and Pepper, tell 'em you're on your way. She's gonna need treatment as soon as possible."

Steve simply nodded and sped off in the direction of Avengers Tower.


End file.
